Abstract: Metadata associated with contact unification, which may involve conflict resolution and de-duplication, is stored in a user's mailbox for optimizing future automated unification operations, sharing of information between different clients and services, and providing relational data that can be used for other applications. User interactions regarding unification such as rejection or acceptance of automated actions, usage of created unified contacts, as well as data from external applications and services may be analyzed and stored in the mailbox. Such metadata may then be used to resolve conflicts the same user or other users in future contact unification operations and shared with other applications and services through a predefined schema such that those applications and services can update their data as well.

Abstract: Individual contact information from a variety of sources are linked into a unified contact view to provide consistent user experience across platforms, while contact data is tracked in a distributed fashion. A communication application unifying multiple sources of contact data into a single logical view may communicate to a user that the unification has occurred. Through granular change tracking and data linkage, the user may be empowered to both understand and correct any system action. Match criteria for contact information may be exposed in individual contact views and in the unified contact view clarifying to the user matching and conflicting contact information.

Abstract: Multiple contacts are aggregated through contact linking into a unified profile view addressing conflicting data, duplicates, etc. By persisting contact information in a server-maintained mailbox that is used as a storage model and as the contact linking system, roaming solution across form factors (mobile, slate, PC, etc.) can be provided with higher accuracy and fewer false positives. By centralizing the solution in the mailbox, redundancy and manual work by the user is substantially reduced. Contact data, communication heuristics, corporate directory meta-data, instant messaging data, etc. can be leveraged in linking contacts.

Abstract: A communication application resolves contacts in conflict through a suggestive user interface. The communication application retrieves a contact that includes conflicting information with an existing contact from an external resource through a data service. External resources include social networks, e-mail servers, local address providers, etc. The user application employs a sliding scale algorithm to recognize the contact that includes the conflicting information according to a variety of categories including source of the contact, level of interaction and number of matching identifiers between the user and the contact. Subsequently, the communication application presents a suggestion to link the contact that includes the conflicting information with the existing contact to the user in a linking user interface. Upon a user acceptance of the suggestion, the communication application links the contact that includes the conflicting information to the existing contact.

Abstract: An application may be provided with an interface for hiding a cursor from or showing a cursor to a video driver and for causing cursor information to be saved in data storage and retrieved from data storage. The interface may include an application program interface (API), which may be callable from the application program. The interface may also include one or more bits included in a video driver, such that the modification of any of the one or more bits may change operation of the video driver. Modification of at least some of the bits may cause a cursor to be hidden from the video driver, may cause a previously hidden cursor to be shown to the video driver, may cause cursor information to be saved in a data storage, or may cause the cursor information to be retrieved from the data storage.

Abstract: Architecture for enabling messages to be routed between network servers based on message requirements related to version, capabilities, and features, for example. The message requirements designate delivery over a transport path compatible with the message requirements. The message requirements can include a particular version or other features related to different software applications that require compatibility in message handling. Routing information is maintained related to a transport server or other network transport entity compatible with the message requirements and through which the message can be routed. The message is routed to the compatible transport server for delivery to the destination while avoiding delivery to transport servers incompatible with the message requirements.

Abstract: Architecture that enables data handling according to types of social relationships. A social graph is used to categorize the types of the social relationships of the tagged messaging users. The social graph can include social relationship categories for friends, family, coworkers, and blocked individuals of the recipient, for example. The social graph can also include metadata related to the tagged users. The metadata defines the social relationship of the tagged users to the recipient. Delivery of messages to the recipient from the tagged messaging users is managed based on the social graph. Delivery management can include blocking messages, allowing the messages through, or delivering the messages with high or low priority, for example. Email messages can be delivered to respective email locations based on the social graph. User information can be imported and/or mined from external sources to augment the social graph.

Abstract: Menus within an application may be virtually navigated. While a user is virtually navigating the menus and exploring the user interface (UI) elements using the virtual menus, the system's current focus is maintained. Virtual navigating menus assist a user in learning the commands that are associated with an application. Instead of having to physically navigate to the menus that change the system focus, a user may virtually navigate to a menu to learn what commands or features an application supports. The virtual menus behave just as the regular menu items behave within the application without the state of the application changing.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the operation of accessibility applications. A graphics pipe is provided that can be called in user mode from multiple accessibility programs. A request is received from an accessibility application to access the graphics pipe, and a connection is established. The accessibility application listens to the graphics pipe for particular content of interest and builds a model based on that content. The model is used to deliver content to an end user appropriately. Screen captures can be performed on at least part of the content and then rendered onto another surface.

Abstract: Described is the selective exclusion of content returned in a requested screen capture operation, wherein exclusion may be determined by a window category and the requesting application program. For example, a magnification program will not received content captured from its own layered window or from any other layered magnification windows. A registration mechanism obtains and maintains a window handle for any window registered for exclusion. A screen capture mechanism uses the information to determine whether to exclude the content of windows when returning the captured screen content. Exclusion may be accomplished by enumerating areas that are not covered by any layered window and copying those areas to a screen representation buffer or the like, and separately enumerating areas that are covered by at least one layered window. A covered area is only copied to the screen representation when it does not correspond to an excluded window.

Abstract: Described is a context map that assists users in determining a current location within a source region of a display monitor that is being magnified. The context map comprises a visible image representing a location of the unmagnified region that is being magnified. The visible image may be an indicator such as a pointer, or a reduced-size representation of the desktop with an indicator therein. The visible image may be made to selectively appear, such as by user command. The magnified content may be displayed on one monitor, and the context map on another. The context map alternatively may be on the same monitor, possibly superimposed over some part of the magnified content. The magnification window may move with a pointing device, and the context map may be docked, or displayed over at least part of the floating window such that the context map also moves with it.

Abstract: Described is a filtering mechanism/process that selectively controls whether graphics primitives are provided to a given driver. For example, graphics primitives of an accessibility (e.g., magnification) program may be excluded from being obtained by mirror drivers associated with the accessibility programs, so that the mirror drivers receive only the primitives of unmagnified windows. A registration mechanism allows a program to identify its window as being associated with a class of drivers for filtering, and the drivers may identify themselves as being of the class. By maintaining data that associates windows with a class of drivers, when graphics primitives associated with a registered window are received, a filtering operation be activated to determine which graphics primitives are provided to which driver or drivers. Filtering may be by exclusion to prevent certain primitives from being obtained by excluded drivers, or by inclusion whereby only included drivers receive certain primitives.

Abstract: Described is a technology including a mechanism that when activated, detects a call to a device independent bitmap. An appropriate mirror driver, such as one or more registered as an accessibility driver, may then be notified of the call. The mechanism may be activated upon creation or selection of the device independent bitmap, and may comprise a wrapper/driver that, from the perspective of the mirror driver, simulates a call to a device dependent bitmap. The notification may be performed by having the driver communicate a function call that emulates a drawing primitive to the mirror driver.

Abstract: A method for confidential electronic communication between a sender workstation and a receiver workstation is provided, whereby privacy is guaranteed for the electronic communications transmitted over the public Internet. The method of confidential communication is equipped with message tracking and message receipt verification. The system for implementing the method includes a sender server that creates a session content encryption key along with a message envelope that includes a content encryption key encrypted message and a confidential mail token. The content encryption key is stored securely inside the sender organization's system which transmits the message envelope to an intended recipient. The intended recipient processes the message envelope in order to generate a message receipt verification, which is transmitted to the sender. The message receipt verification is processed by the sender server to verify that the message envelope reached the intended recipient.

Abstract: An application may be provided with an interface for hiding a cursor from or showing a cursor to a video driver and for causing cursor information to be saved in data storage and retrieved from data storage. The interface may include an application program interface (API), which may be callable from the application program. The interface may also include one or more bits included in a video driver, such that the modification of any of the one or more bits may change operation of the video driver. Modification of at least some of the bits may cause a cursor to be hidden from the video driver, may cause a previously hidden cursor to be shown to the video driver, may cause cursor information to be saved in a data storage, or may cause the cursor information to be retrieved from the data storage.

Abstract: Described is a technology including a mechanism a mechanism that when activated, detects a call to a device independent bitmap. An appropriate mirror driver, such as one or more registered as an accessibility driver, may then be notified of the call. The mechanism may be activated upon creation or selection of the device independent bitmap, and may comprise a wrapper/driver that, from the perspective of the mirror driver, simulates a call to a device dependent bitmap. The notification may be performed by having the driver communicate a function call that emulates a drawing primitive to the mirror driver.

Abstract: Described is the selective exclusion of content returned in a requested screen capture operation, wherein exclusion may be determined by a window category and the requesting application program. For example, a magnification program will not received content captured from its own layered window or from any other layered magnification windows. A registration mechanism obtains and maintains a window handle for any window registered for exclusion. A screen capture mechanism uses the information to determine whether to exclude the content of windows when returning the captured screen content. Exclusion may be accomplished by enumerating areas that are not covered by any layered window and copying those areas to a screen representation buffer or the like, and separately enumerating areas that are covered by at least one layered window. A covered area is only copied to the screen representation when it does not correspond to an excluded window.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the operation of accessibility applications. A graphics pipe is provided that can be called in user mode from multiple accessibility programs. A request is received from an accessibility application to access the graphics pipe, and a connection is established. The accessibility application listens to the graphics pipe for particular content of interest and builds a model based on that content. The model is used to deliver content to an end user appropriately. Screen captures can be performed on at least part of the content and then rendered onto another surface.

Abstract: Virtual Focus allows a user to explore elements on a screen without changing the location of the current system focus. While virtually navigating around and exploring the user interface (UI) elements on the screen, the user may change the system's input focus to the current virtual focus or return to the current system focus position. The user may also choose between navigation modes such as tree navigation and spatial navigation. Virtual focus navigation also allows the user to locate elements on the screen that may not be navigated to using just the keyboard input focus. Additionally, while using virtual focus to navigate around a screen, the state of user interface elements remains constant.

Abstract: Menus within an application may be virtually navigated. While a user is virtually navigating the menus and exploring the user interface (UI) elements using the virtual menus, the system's current focus is maintained. Virtual navigating menus assist a user in learning the commands that are associated with an application. Instead of having to physically navigate to the menus that change the system focus, a user may virtually navigate to a menu to learn what commands or features an application supports. The virtual menus behave just as the regular menu items behave within the application without the state of the application changing.